Sunday, April 9, 2017

What does Widow Daventry tell Crispin about having Bear as a master?

The Widow Daventry is the manager of the Green Man Inn. In Chapter 43, she warns Crispin against showing himself so freely in public while staying at the inn.


To help disguise Crispin's identity, the Widow Daventry shouts orders at him as if he is an employee of the inn; she loudly orders him to return to his kitchen duties even though he has never worked there. Once in the kitchen, she instructs Crispin to...

The Widow Daventry is the manager of the Green Man Inn. In Chapter 43, she warns Crispin against showing himself so freely in public while staying at the inn.


To help disguise Crispin's identity, the Widow Daventry shouts orders at him as if he is an employee of the inn; she loudly orders him to return to his kitchen duties even though he has never worked there. Once in the kitchen, she instructs Crispin to keep the pies from burning and to take them out when they are done. He also has to put the bread into the oven for baking.


Crispin discovers that the kitchen is a warm and inviting place, filled with many delicious odors. When he accidentally drops a freshly-baked pie on the floor, he hurriedly devours the evidence. Although he thinks that he has been circumspect, the Widow Daventry wryly comments that she can see what he has done. When the customers leave, she orders Crispin to gather up the tankards from the empty tables.


While they work, the Widow Daventry gives Crispin some advice. She tells him that she is sorry for his troubles but admonishes him to be grateful for having Bear for a master. She maintains that, if he was looking for a good master, he has found him in Bear. The Widow Daventry also urges Crispin to keep his master focused on his juggling and his music rather than on his unsavory interactions with troublesome characters. Here, she is probably referring to his association with men like John Ball who conspire to overthrow the existing, corrupt government.


John Ball is actually a historical figure; he was an English priest who played a prominent role in the Peasant's Revolt in England in 1381. The last thing Widow Daventry says to Crispin in this chapter is a warning: she cautions that, if Crispin does not keep a close eye on his master, it will be all the worse for both of them. She fears that both will be implicated for participating in activities the status quo would interpret as treasonous.


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